DELIVERY DEVICES

• US 20160074603A1
• Filed: 04/23/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OptiNose, Inc.
• Original Assignee: OptiNose AS (OptiNose, Inc.)
• Inventors: Djupesland, Per Gisle, Gaarder, Rune Harald, Lamolle, Sebastien
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0021 Mouthpieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0023 retractable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0028 using prepacked dosages, one for each application, e.g. capsules to be perforated or broken-up
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0035 Piercing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0041 with movable piercing or cutting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0098 Activated by exhalation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/08 Inhaling devices inserted into the nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/04 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/073 Syringe, piston type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/16 Rotating swirling helical flow, e.g. by tangential inflows

Abstract

A delivery device for and method of delivering a metered amount of substance, the delivery device comprising: a mouthpiece through which a user in use exhales; an outlet through which substance is in use delivered; a housing fluidly connected to the mouthpiece and the outlet, such that exhalation by the user through the mouthpiece creates an air flow through the housing and from the outlet; and a substance-dispensing unit which is disposed within the housing and operative to dispense a metered amount of substance into an entraining air flow as created through the housing.

Claims

1-54. -54. (canceled)

55. A delivery device for delivering a metered amount of a substance, the delivery device comprising:

a mouthpiece through which a user exhales;

an outlet unit through which the substance is delivered;

a housing defining a cavity, the cavity including an inlet fluidly connected to the mouthpiece and an outlet fluidly connected to the outlet unit;

a piston member slideably disposed within the cavity; and

a first rupturable membrane selectively separating the outlet unit from the cavity, the cavity containing a gas between the piston member and the first rupturable membrane;

wherein exhalation by the user causes movement of the piston member through the cavity, wherein a predetermined movement of the piston member causes the first rupturable membrane to rupture.

56. The delivery device of claim 55, wherein the cavity is an elongate cavity.

57. The delivery device of claim 55, wherein the piston member includes a rupturing element for rupturing the first rupturable membrane.

58. The delivery device of claim 55, wherein the first rupturable membrane is configured to rupture when a pressure of the gas in the cavity reaches a first predetermined pressure.

59. The delivery device of claim 55, further comprising:

an enclosed compressible member disposed downstream of the piston member and compressed by movement of the piston member.

60. The delivery device of claim 55, wherein the substance is contained in the cavity between the piston member and the first rupturable membrane.

61. The delivery device of claim 55, further comprising:

a second rupturable membrane selectively separating the outlet unit from the cavity and disposed downstream of the first rupturable membrane.

62. The delivery device of claim 61, wherein the second rupturable membrane is configured to rupture after the first rupturable membrane ruptures.

63. The delivery device of claim 61, wherein the piston member includes a rupturing element for rupturing the second rupturable membrane.

64. The delivery device of claim 61, wherein the second rupturable membrane is configured to rupture when a pressure of the gas in the cavity reaches a second predetermined pressure.

65. The delivery device of claim 61, wherein the first rupturable membrane and the second rupturable membrane define a substance-containing chamber therebetween.

66. The delivery device of claim 55, wherein the outlet unit is a nosepiece and the delivery device is a nasal delivery device for delivering the substance to a nasal airway of the user.

67. The delivery device of claim 55, wherein the substance is a particulate substance.

68. The delivery device of claim 67, wherein the substance is a powder.

69. The delivery device of claim 55, wherein the substance is a liquid.

70. The delivery device of claim 55, wherein the housing further comprises a by-pass channel including a first end fluidly connected to the cavity at a first position and a second end fluidly connected to the cavity at a second position, the second position closer to the outlet than the first position.

71. The delivery device of claim 70, wherein the first rupturable membrane is disposed between the second position and the outlet.

72. The delivery device of claim 71, further comprising a substance-containing cavity and a gas-containing cavity, the substance-containing cavity disposed between the first rupturable membrane and the gas-containing cavity, and the gas containing cavity disposed between the substance containing cavity and the piston member.

73. The delivery device of claim 72, wherein the by-pass channel connects the gas-containing cavity and the substance-containing cavity.

74. The delivery device of claim 55, wherein the nosepiece and the mouthpiece are integrally formed with the body unit.

75. A delivery device for delivering a metered amount of substance, the delivery device comprising:

a mouthpiece through which a user in use exhales;

an outlet unit through which substance is in use delivered;

a housing including a cavity which includes an inlet fluidly connected to the mouthpiece and an outlet fluidly connected to the outlet unit;

a piston member which is slideably disposed within the cavity; and

a rupturable membrane which in a first configuration fluidly separates the outlet unit from the cavity and defines a gas chamber containing a volume of gas between the piston member and the rupturable membrane;

wherein the piston member is slideably disposed in the cavity, such that, on exhalation by the user, the piston member is driven forwardly to reduce the volume of the gas chamber and thereby provide for compression of the gas contained in the gas chamber, and, following a predeterminable compression of the gas chamber, the rupturable membrane in a second configuration is ruptured, providing for delivery of a gas flow through the outlet unit.

76. A delivery device for delivering a metered amount of substance, the delivery device comprising:

a mouthpiece through which a user in use exhales;

an outlet unit through which substance is in use delivered;

a housing including a first, piston cavity which includes an inlet fluidly connected to the mouthpiece, a second, substance-containing cavity for containing an amount of substance, the housing including an inlet and an outlet fluidly connected to the outlet unit and a by-pass channel which includes an inlet fluidly connected to the piston cavity at a location along a length thereof and an outlet fluidly connected to the inlet of the substance-containing cavity;

a piston member slideably disposed within the piston cavity; and

a rupturable membrane which normally in a first configuration separates the outlet unit from the substance-containing cavity;

wherein the piston member is slideably disposed in the piston cavity, such that, on exhalation by the user, the piston member is driven along the piston cavity and, following a predeterminable movement of the piston member, the rupturable membrane in a second configuration is ruptured, providing for delivery of a gas flow through the outlet unit.

77. A delivery device for delivering a metered amount of substance, the delivery device comprising:

a mouthpiece unit through which a user can in use exhale;

an outlet unit through which substance is in use delivered;

a substance-supply unit which is actuatable to deliver substance; and

a body unit in which the substance-supply unit is movably disposed between a storage configuration and an operative configuration;

wherein the mouthpiece unit is coupled to the substance supply unit, such that the substance-supply unit is movable between the storage and operative configurations by the mouthpiece unit.

78. A delivery device for delivering a metered amount of substance, the delivery device comprising:

a mouthpiece unit through which a user can in use exhale;

an outlet unit through which substance is in use delivered;

a substance-supply unit which is actuatable to deliver substance; and

a body unit in which the mouthpiece unit is movably disposed between a storage configuration in which the mouthpiece unit is at least partially contained within the body unit and an operative configuration in which the mouthpiece unit is extended from the body unit.

79. A delivery device for delivering a metered amount of substance, the delivery device comprising:

a mouthpiece through which a user in use exhales;

an outlet through which substance is in use delivered;

a housing fluidly connected to the mouthpiece and the outlet, such that exhalation by the user through the mouthpiece creates an exhalation flow through the housing and out through the outlet; and

a substance-dispensing unit which is disposed within the housing and operative to dispense an amount of substance into the exhalation flow through the housing.